And You Thought this, Why?
by ManhattanWitch
Summary: Sequal to Um, Whoops? Sorry it took so long- in threeish parts, mebbe, drarry, i'm not sure of the slash content just yet. Read Um, Whoops? first. Thanks!


Rated M for language( quite a bit of the f-word, incase that offends you), smut( of the boy-on-boy variety), and because my mind is dirty place and I'm positive some of it will seep into this story. 

Ta!

MannyWitch

_P.S.- __**Warning- this plot line diverges a little from my original conception of the idea, in that Draco and Harry are a bit darker than I had imagined. But I think I like it, so if you don't all I can say is 'Oh, well."**_

_P.P.S.- The bit where he's wearing the sweatpants, think Channing Tatum from 'She's The Man', the very first scene you meet him in. *drools*_

_P.P.P.S.- Um, Ron bashing galore. Whoops! *hehe- runs and hides*_

… … …

Alright, here's a little reminder for you all…

_He'd been sitting there for a half hour when there was a knock on his door. He opened it, and saw to his surprise, Potter. _

_The Gryffindor shifted from foot to foot, and Draco took pity on him. _

_He stepped aside and let him in the room. _

And so it continues…

… … …

**And You Thought This, Why?**

Potter shifted from foot to foot as he stood in the sitting room, steadfastly _not_ looking at Draco. A little peeved by this, the Slytherin snapped, "Oh, sit down, for Merlin's sake."

The Gryffindor jerked a bit, then sat in one of the armchairs in front of the fire. Draco sat across from him, and in the silence that followed, noticed a couple things about Potter. First, he looked completely and utterly exhausted. Second, he looked scared, and not a little frustrated.

The blond frowned, then asked a question he dearly wanted the answer to.

"Why are you here?"

_Breakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreak_

Harry flushed. He didn't know, and he wasn't sure he wanted Malfoy to, to… Ah, hell. This was so fucked up.

"I- and don't you dare laugh at me- feel safer here."

There. He'd said it.

The silence after that confession was making him nervous, so he turned to Malfoy. The boy's face was a mix of emotions- incredulousness, amusement, and… _joy_? But they faded from his face when the Slytherin realized he was being watched, and Harry wasn't sure he'd even seen them.

Malfoy opened his mouth, and Harry braced for something harsh or sarcastic. But nothing of the sort came out. Instead, the blond asked, "But what about Gryffindor Tower? Surely you feel safe there."

The boy started, then thought about the question. After a couple minutes, he sighed.

"They're all worried about me- you know, where were you, what happened to you, were you abducted, that sort of thing. And I was feeling boxed in, so as soon as I got the chance, I left the common room and took a walk. I ended up here and the first thing I felt was this rushing sense of relief, and I knocked on the door before I thought about it. I can go, if you want."

_Breakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreak_

Draco answered the last statement first. "No, I don't want. You stay there until we get this sorted."

Then he let his mind pick over the block of information he'd just been handed, and from the look on Potters face, it had been unintentionally. The boxed in feeling probably came from being a panther for a week, and only having to deal with one person. The walk was most likely a way to express tension without resorting to violent measures, and the relief, no matter what Draco might want to believe, was probably from being in an intimately familiar place for the first time in hours.

He said so out loud, and was miffed when the only thing Potter did was nod his head in distracted agreement. But what could he do about it? The boy obviously had a lot on his mind, and from the look of him, still had things he wanted to blurt out, then be embarrassed over.

And he was right, for seconds later, Potter said, "In the Hospital Wing, they kept poking and prodding me, and asking me questions, and then they kept asking whether or not you'd been a good caretaker, and they all sounded so _superior_ that I couldn't take it anymore, and then Dumbledore said we'd talk about it, but I don't want to talk about it, all I want is for people to leave me alone, and they _wouldn't_, and I feel like such an idiot for telling you all this."

Draco ignored the boy's flushed face and rant for something far more interesting. "So, when they asked whether or not I'd been good to you, you got pissed at them?"

_Breakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreak_

_Crap,_ Harry thought as soon as Malfoy finished speaking. He hadn't meant for that to slip out, and had hoped the other boy hadn't caught it. Apparently, he had.

"No, I didn't mean- well, I guess I- oh, fuck it all. Yes. Yes, I got pissed at them." _Wow, way to be articulate, Harry,_ he thought to himself. He knew, just knew, that Malfoy was going to laugh.

He waited for it, but when nothing happened, he looked up and saw the most interesting look on Malfoy's face- cautious hope.

But the blond didn't say anything about that, just looked into the fire. "If you are planning on going to the rest of our classes today, you'll need some new uniforms. Yours will be too small, and so will the rest of your year mates. And the Weasels are made to fit a hulking moose, so those are out of the question."

Harry started. He hadn't thought about that, and as he was wondering were he was going to get a uniform from, Malfoy huffed. "Who's clothes are you wearing?"

"Yours," Harry replied cautiously.

"And that means that my clothes…?"

Harry rolled his eyes but finished the sentence anyway. "…fit me." He waited for Malfoy to say something else, but when the blonde just sat there and looked at him, Harry got the idea.

"Malf-" he cut himself off at the affronted look on the blonds face.

"Draco?" At the look of satisfaction, he continued. "Draco, may I borrow some of your clothes until I can have mine adjusted?"

"Yes you may. And it won't be until you have them adjusted, it will be until you have new outfits made up."

Harry nodded his acceptance. It would be easier to have new outfits made, and it would appeal to Ma-_Draco_'s vanity. He frowned. Why did he want to do that? The answer smacked him upside the head. The Slytherin was giving off vibes of _'I'm interested'_ and Harry was damned if he was going to ignore them.

He sighed and started telling Draco what had gone on after he'd left with Snape. After all the blond had done for him, Harry figured he deserved to know.

_Breakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreak_

Draco listened intently as Harry told him all that had happened this morning. Apparently, after the Headmaster had ensured that the Gryffindor was alright, the poor boy had been hustled into the Infirmary and been poked and prodded until Harry had snapped. That had ended the physical examination, but then the teachers had started in on the mental one, questioning how he'd reacted to all this, if Draco had taken good care of him, etcetera. That was when the brunet had gotten fed up with the whole process and left.

The blond grinned. Having spent a week as a self-reliant(mostly) panther, Harry was starting realize that he did not, in fact, need to be coddled.

Which worked in Draco's favor, of course. The more the Gryffindor realized that his mentor and friends couldn't deal with the new Potter, the more he would turn towards Draco.

Something Harry said caught his wandering attention, and he returned his mind to what the other boy was saying.

"-said he'd figure out what happened to me, and then let me know. Of course, I already know the snarky bastard has an idea!" Harry paused to take a breathe, and Draco slid into the opening in the conversation.

"So Snape knows what changed in you and why?" Draco thought he knew where this was going, but he wanted make sure.

Harry pouted, an astonishingly attractive expression, given that he no longer looked like a kid. "Yeah, I guess."

Draco settled back in his chair, having just realized he'd been leaning forward. "I think I know why, as well." He was replaying the conversation from the night Severus was in his quarters, and didn't see the intent look on Harry's face. "The night Sev was here, we'd been talking about you and your rapid growth. He said something about how the reason you were growing so fast was because you might have been malnourished, and that as a magical creature, you had the ability to turn food to bone and muscle immediately."

Harry frowned. "Wait, I remember that- I growled at him. But I don't remember any conversations."

Draco rolled his eyes. "I'd say that was because you were a cat at the time, Harry. I'd hazard a guess that you couldn't understand human language."

Harry sighed and relaxed for the first time since he'd been in the room, leaning back into his chair and letting all the tension flow out of his body in one smooth motion. Draco gathered that was something he'd learned during the last week.

"Well, it makes sense, that theory. The Dursley's weren't very careful about my heath and wellbeing until third year, when Sirius came into the picture, and that would have been too late to reverse any of the damage they had obviously done."

The brunet rolled his shoulders and abruptly changed the subject. Draco gathered that that had been more than he'd meant to say, but Harry seemed to be in the habit of making uncomfortable confessions in front of Draco. "We've been sitting here talking all day, and dinner starts in half an hour." He glanced up at Draco from the corner of his eyes, asking, "May I borrow some clothes?"

_Breakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreak_

Harry held his breath as he waited for Draco to accept the change of topic. And the blond did so, but not without an amused glance. Harry watched as the Slytherin gracefully rose out of his chair and walked over to the giant wardrobe, opening the doors with a wave of his hand. Harry kept his eyes firmly glued to Draco's back- it would not do to complicate this situation any more than it was.

The blond waved him over, and Harry got up and went over to stand behind him, looking over his shoulder. His eyes flew open as he saw the extent of the clothing. He hadn't known you could put wizard space in a wardrobe, but by the looks of it, that was exactly what had been done. There were dozens of articles of clothes in there, from trousers to shirts of all kinds, robes both formal and casual, and draws full of what he guessed to be socks and underwear. Harry blushed and diverted his attention back to Draco, who was rustling through the clothes with a goal obviously in mind.

The blond straighten with a pleased look, handing Harry a pile of clothes. "I tried to avoid things that are blatantly Slytherin. Here- try these on."

Harry turned and walked into the bathroom- sure, he could have gotten changed in the bedroom, he'd gotten changed in front of other boys before, but this was _Draco_, and he just couldn't.

He got dressed without really seeing the clothes, his mind just catching up with the reality of his situation. He was borrowing clothes from Draco Malfoy, of all people! He drifted out of the bathroom as he buttoned the shirt. Draco stood from the edge of the bed, looked him over, and with a nod pronounced him fit for public viewing. Harry followed the blond out of the room, slightly dreading actually going to dinner.

_Breakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreak_

Draco blindly walked through the halls, eyes seeing only the moment when Harry had stepped out of his bathroom. Who would have thought that any Gryffindor could look so good in forest green and black? And the way those trousers had cupped his rear, like they had been made solely for him, had made the blond's mouth water. It had been all he could do to avoid drooling, or jumping the boy, and he could only give a curt nod to show that Harry did look good. He remembered the look on the brunet's face when he walked out of the bathroom- slightly pensive, and a little worried, but what he remembered the most was the sight of the boy's chest disappearing behind ivory buttons and forest green silk.

A slight noise caught his attention, and he looked up and saw the Entrance Hall ahead of him. He turned and searched for Harry, finding him in the shadows. There was a quality to his eyes that made Draco think of a great hunting cat, and as he turned back to face the students, he inwardly acknowledged that he could not wait for the moment when the others realized that Harry was no longer their pushover, their obedient little pawn. And he would be standing in the background, watching, and waiting for Harry to come back to him.

_Breakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreak_

Harry stood silently, waiting for Draco to continue, thinking about the reactions he was likely to get from his friends, and not just about his growth spurt. Being friends with a Slytherin was not on the approved activities list, and wanting more than friendship was completely anathema. He squared his shoulders and narrowed his eyes- they could try to change his mind, but it wasn't going to work. He wasn't the same person he'd been last week, and he never wanted to be that person again.

He took a step forward, out of the shadows, and stood next to Draco without looking at him. A breath later, they stepped out of the shadows and into the light of the hall, and all activity stopped as people noticed them and started whispering. Harry wondered how long it would take them to realize who he was.

Not long, apparently, as Hermione breathed his name from the side of the hall the Gryffindor's entered through.

_Breakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreak_

Draco watched as Harry was attacked by flying Granger, a small smile playing around his mouth. He wondered how she would take it, his and Harry's new friendship. The girl finally released him, hands gripping his forearms as he turned him this way and that, looking him over for the first time. Her eyes were wide, and her voice was awed as she said, "My god, Harry, look at you!"

Harry grinned, and Draco thought he'd never seen such a sight. He leaned his shoulder against the stone wall and waited to see how Harry would respond.

"Yeah, well, I'll tell you about it later, 'Mione. Trust me, it's a story you do not want me to rush."

Ron shouldered his way through the crowd to Harry and Hermione, his expression just this side of thunderous, and Draco grinned at the thought of the confrontation about to come.

Harry grinned and extended a hand, a hand that was ignored as Ron wrapped a possessively arm around Hermione and asked, "Where have you been? What happened to you?" he lowered his voice and continued, "The map didn't show you anywhere on the school property, _mate_." He sneered that last bit, and Harry raised an eyebrow in a move eerily reminiscent of Draco.

Harry's voice was cold when he answered. "What, Ron? No concern? No _are you alright_?" His voice dropped an octave, and as Draco shivered in pleasure a the sound, he figured that maybe Harry didn't want the whole school to hear this altercation. "For your information, what might or might not have happened to me has nothing to do with you, Ron. You might consider the fact that not everything involving me has to involve you."

Draco resisted the urge to clap, but he could feel his eyes twinkle mischievously. He straightened up and stepped out so everyone could see him, stopping next to Harry and coldly viewing all those in front of him.

He waited a beat, the turned to Harry and said, "Potter, Snape is expecting you after dinner in the Infirmary. Do be on time." Draco made sure that this little message was delivered in a voice as ambiguous as he could manage, just to mess with everyone's heads a little more.

Harry's eyes were still pinning Ron as he nodded an affirmative, and then he turned and stalked right into the Great Hall. Draco admired the vicious beauty of his tight stride, then turned to Granger and figured he should shake things up a little more, just because he doubted he'd ever get a chance like this again.

Smoothly, he reached over and slid her school bag off her arm and over his own, and in a move so effortless, maneuvered her away from that hulking lout. "If I may," he muttered as he led her into the Great Hall, "I suggest you weigh the possibility that Potter is worth more than any amount of Ron's put together?" He left the stunned Granger with Harry, who sent him a wry grin, and headed over to his table.

As he sat, Pansy came over to him and pouted. "Draco, darling, please don't tell me that you fancy a Mudblood. That's just disgusting." He pinned her with a glare so malevolent that, after a moment, she got the message and disappeared. He glanced around the table, noticed that he had everyone's attention, and said, "I care not who, how or where you do it, but by the end of this week you will have clearly expressed your dislike of the word 'Mudblood', and made a friend or acquaintance of one. I trust that this is quite clear?"

The quiet malice in his voice ensured that heads nodded all around the table. He grinned and started filling his plate, conscious that they had waited for him to begin eating. _Such good, loyal little Slytherins,_ he thought. Of course, he knew Blaise would be asking annoying questions later, but for now there was the silence of obedience, and he reveled in it.

He lifted his head and caught Harry's eyes, holding them for a long moment until the Gryffindor blushed and turned to Granger. _Yes_, he thought. _I can't wait._

_Breakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreak_

Harry felt himself flushing from Draco's steady gaze and turned back to Hermione, who was still a little dazed. She turned to him and said, "Harry. Draco Malfoy, _the _Draco Malfoy, walked me into the Great Hall for dinner. I think," she continued, "that I am in shock."

He grinned. "I wish I could have seen it." he said sincerely. "Or rather, the look on Ron's face."

Hermione's face became troubled. "Ron's been acting very oddly, this past week."

"How so?" Harry inquired as he placed some pasta on his plate. He inhaled greedily. A week of being a cat, while fun, was hard on your cravings.

She mashed up some carrots. "Like, saying things like 'That Harry, off on another adventure', only he'd say it meanly. Or 'Always got our best interests in mind when he goes gallivanting off'. I don't know what's wrong with him."

Harry looked up from his plate. "Where is the illustrious Ronnikins, anyway?"

Hermione just shrugged. Harry threw an arm around her. "S'okay, 'Mione- you've got me. And he'll either come around, or not. He's a bit," he leaned in towards her and said, "slow, sometimes." That got the giggle he was aiming for.

"That devious little Slytherin, though!" she exclaimed. Harry sent her a confused look as he went back to inhaling his food. "Do you know what he said to me?"

"Um, no? I wasn't there, remember?"

Hermione just ignored him. She leaned in and whispered, "He said that your friendship is more important than Ron." She leaned back with a frown. "I know he's a bit misguided at times, but Ron is a good person." Harry just nodded. In his mind, Ron had gone from 'good person' to 'iffy goodish person' the second he'd shown no concern for Harry.

She frowned. "I have to think about this." Hermione picked up her bag and stood, then turned to Harry and gave him a bone crushing hug. "I'm glad you're back, Harry."

He squeezed back, smiling. She let go, and shook her finger. "Remember- you owe me a story."

Harry nodded sharply and said, "Gotcha."

_Breakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreak_

A couple hours later, Harry was lounging on his bed in Gryffindor Tower, flipping aimlessly through a broomstick catalogue. The usual bustle was going on around him- Seamus and Dean where goofing around, Neville was tending to a spindly looking…_thing_, and Ron was no where to be seen. They'd all been happy to have him back- they'd even asked one of the house elves to make a cake for the occasion.

They'd bugged him about what had happened, but he didn't want to tell. Instead, all he said was that he wasn't allowed to talk about it, but it might have had something to do with a magical inheritance. That would cover the growth. They'd ragged on him about it, but not too much, then started telling him all the stuff he'd missed. Harry had been rolling on the floor in no time.

But now they were all getting ready for bed, tomorrow being the first day where they had all their classes in over a week. Harry knew he should have been studying notes, but all the teachers knew what had happened to him, and probably wouldn't expect him to know everything.

The door slammed open, and Ron stormed in. Harry watched as Neville quickly put his plant on the end table, and Seamus and Dean turn their fooling around into putting things away. Harry frowned. What was going on?

He watched Ron drop his things on the bed, then grab a towel and head for the showers. When the bathroom door had closed and the water had started running, Harry turned to the guys and said, "What was that about?"

The three of them flinched and looked ashamed. "It's just, he's got a nasty temper," offered Neville. "He destroyed all the games one day."

Harry sat up. "What?" The games were Muggle board games- Monopoly, chess, checkers, you name it, Seamus and Dean had probably had it. "He did that?"

"Yeah," Dean snorted. "But he also burned up that little bush thing Neville was working on, because he didn't like what it smelled like."

Harry turned to Neville, who just nodded. "What the fuck is wrong with him?" Harry snarled. "How could someone turn into a complete and utter bastard in a week?"

Seamus sighed and sat on the edge of Dean's bed. "Well, it was like not having you around made him mad. Like, we couldn't even talk about you, cause he'd blow a fuse."

Harry just shook his head, dumbfounded. That anyone could do something like this, to people that were his friends… he couldn't believe it.

The other three boys drifted back to their beds, Neville pulling out a notebook and scribbling something, Seamus and Dean quietly talking as they got changed. Harry looked down at himself. He was still wearing the outfit Draco had loaned him, and as comfy as it was, he couldn't sleep in it. He got up and rummaged through his drawers, knowing he had a pair of baggy sweatpants in there somewhere.

He held them up, victoriously, and got changed, hanging the silk shirt and pants up. The sweats were a lot tighter than he'd expected them to be, but not embarrassingly so. He shrugged. He was only going to be sleeping in them.

The bathroom door opened and Ron stepped out, wearing Chudley Canon's, matching top and bottom, pajama's. Harry stifled a chuckle. Ron noticed, however, and stepped up to Harry. "What? You have a problem with something?"

Harry raised his eyebrows. "Uh, no." he said.

"Then what are you laughing about?"

"Merlin, Ron!" he exclaimed, "What the hell is wrong with you? You're being such a fucking jerk!"

Ron shoved Harry, who stumbled a little before shoving back. "What the fuck is your problem?" he asked in a cold voice.

"You! You're my fucking problem! You think you're so good, you couldn't give a shit about anyone else!" Ron yelled as he pushed Harry again.

Harry shoved him back, snapping out a startled "What?"

Ron balled his hands into fists. "I'm your best friend! I deserve to know everything you're doing!" He took a deep breath and lowered his voice- Harry could see the worried expressions on the other three boys faces.

"You should have never had an adventure without me, Harry," came the quiet voice.

"What are you talking about, Ron?" Harry asked a bit desperately. "I have no idea what you're saying."

Ron ignored him. "And I'm going to make sure you never will again."

Harry just barely dodged the fist thrown at his face. He rammed his shoulder into Ron's gut, trying to catch the boy's flailing arms with his own. It didn't work, and those arms pounded into his back, hitting his kidneys and spine. Harry let go, backing away- Ron closed the distance between them and aimed punches at his head. The whole fight turned into a blur- Harry knew he was landing punches, but Ron was landing some on him, too.

Distantly, he heard an authoritative female voice yell out _"Immobilus!" _They froze, and Harry felt people dragging the two of them apart. He felt the spell lift from him, and he toppled over- he'd been halfway through a lung when the spell took effect. Getting up off the floor, he staggered a bit, before Neville came over and became a crutch. Harry gave him a strained smile

Professor McGonagall watched all of this without a word. When Harry looked at her, she pursed her lips together and said, "Have you anything to say for yourself, Mr. Potter?"

He took a deep breath and ignored the pain that it caused. "Ron started it," he wheezed out. "Self-defense." He started coughing on the 'se' of the last word, and he covered his mouth. When the fit stopped, he pulled his hand away, only to see it covered in blood.

"Oh, that's not good," he muttered before he passed out.

_Breakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreak_

Draco wasn't really paying attention to the words on the page in front of him. Of course, he knew he had to do his homework, but it was hard to concentrate on anything after a hysterical Head Girl tells you that her boyfriend just beat the shit out of her best friend. And they had needed someone to stay with Potter while Weasley was being questioned, and statements were taken, and all that.

So, here he was, sitting in an overstuffed armchair he'd transfigured from one of those uncomfortable ones in the Hospital Wing, feet propped up on the bed of said 'best friend'. He'd definitely get in trouble for both, if anyone came in, but it was after midnight. He doubted anyone would.

Movement from the bed caught his attention, and he looked up to see dazed green eyes open. The Gryffindor's head rolled to the side, and he frowned a little when he saw Draco.

Draco answered the question he had yet to ask. "I'm to guard your bedside while Weasley is questioned."

Harry made a sound that sounded suspiciously like a snort. Then he sighed and said, "How bad was…this?" indicating his body. His voice was hoarse, and Draco sighed.

"Three broken ribs, both kidneys bruised, some damage to your spine, three broken fingers, concussion, and minor damage to your esophagus." He continued before Harry could panic. "Most of it has been completely Healed- your spine and concussion are the reason you're still here. They have to be Healed very delicately, or they might not return to normal."

"Lovely." Harry sighed as he looked at the ceiling.

There was silence for a moment, before Draco asked, "What caused all of this, anyway?"

Harry allowed his head to roll back to Draco. "Ron was going on about me doing stuff without him, and then he said that I should have never gone on adventure without him, and was going to make sure I never would again."

The Slytherin felt a chill run up and down his spine. That was so wrong, on so many levels.

_Breakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreakbreak_

_Um, yeah- this is going to be split into two, mebbe three parts, because I feel guilty about not giving y'all a sequel- even though it's been almost a year._

_Enjoy!_

_MannyWitch_


End file.
